Kurda Smahlt, The Vampire Prince
by Doctor Kaminari
Summary: What if Darren hadn't stopped Kurda from becoming Vampire Prince? My version. Rating may go even higher, but probably not. Spoilers for... well, if you haven't heard of Kurda Smahlt, don't read! Currently on hold.
1. Introduction

What if Darren hadn't stopped Kurda from becoming a Vampire Prince? What would have happened? This is my story. Enjoy. Maybe somebody else thought of the exact same thing, and did a FanFic on it, but sorry to say, mine is more up to date. Hooray! R&R!

* * *

Kurda Smahlt

The Vampire Prince

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kurda, Paris, Mika, Arrow, Gavner, Mr. Crepsley, Arra, everybody in Vampire Mountain, pretty much. People have written about them too much already.**

Introduction 

The Vampire Generals were lined up to welcome Kurda Smahlt, forming a guard of honour stretching down the whole corridor. Almost every vampire was armed, for this was the only time that a vampire was allowed to enter the Hall with arms. The Ceremony of Investiture.

The three Vampire Princes present, Mika ver Leth, Arrow, and Paris Skyle were dressed accordingly, waiting to blood Kurda, to let him become one them. As usual, one Prince was missing; Vancha March, the 'extreme' Vampire Prince.

Kurda Smahlt entered, clad in a white robe, hoisted aloft by four Generals. Even those who hadn't voted for him saw him with respect now, as was the custom. Vampires chanted hymns of the greatness of the Vampire Princes and Kurda.

Finally, Kurda entered through the doors of the Hall. All the vampires stood to attention. Paris and Arrow stepped forward to initiate the process of Kurda's blooding. All three of them used their sharp fingernails to cut the tips of their fingers. Kurda pressed the fingers of his right hand against Paris', and his left fingers to Arrow's. Paris and Arrow pressed their free hands against the Stone of Blood. Kurda's blood circulated through the veins of the Vampire Princes, and into the Stone of Blood. The blood of the Princes flowed into Kurda's veins, and he gritted his teeth. The Stone grew brighter and brighter. Kurda could see his blood, joining the rest of the blood of thousands of vampires.

Kurda remained standing, just barely. When the Princes broke the contact between Kurda and the Stone of Blood, Kurda nearly fell, but he managed to regain his balance. Every one of the vampires cheered. Even Larten Crepsley and Arra Sails clapped loudly.

Kurda felt his strength slowly returning. He put in his new clothes, a flowing blue robe, looking regal to say the least. He put them on with great pride, and turned to acknowledge his fellow vampires. Now he truly felt that he had power over the other vampires.

_**Kurda Smahlt, The Vampire Prince**._

_

* * *

_

What do you think? R&R!


	2. 1 Alliance with The Enemy

If you've read Sons of Destiny, you'll understand that the order of the Universe can't be altered, and that if people were to die, you couldn't change it. I've already given away too much. Enjoy!

To my reviewers:

The Freaky Angel of Fire: Yeah! Read on, read on!

Kurda-smahlt-lover: Sorry I beat you to it. Maybe you won't like the sound of this chapter. You have been warned!

Love Psychedelico (delico): Nice new penname. Yeah, I'd love to join your C2 community. I've already subscribed to it, and I've already tried to e-mail you about it. What about letting clam theif join as well? Her stories are pretty good.

* * *

Part 1. The Invasion of the Brothers

* * *

Chapter 1. Alliance with The Enemy

After the investiture, everybody was having a party, drinking wine, ale, and blood, eating anything edible. Every one of the drinkers would be getting a hangover the next day.

But the man of honour, the new Vampire Prince Kurda Smahlt sneaked out of the feast, and went down the unused tunnels using his map. Nobody noticed his leaving. After a seemingly endless number of twists and turns, Kurda arrived at a small cave in the rock. Inside was in complete darkness, but with his vampire sight Kurda could make out a few figures in the darkness.

A small scratching sound came from within. A total of ten scratches were heard clearly. Kurda scratched the wall beside him five times.

"Welcome, friend." said a voice from what appeared to be nowhere. The sound of a match being lit was heard, and instantly a dozen vampaneze appeared in the cave. The one who spoke was sitting on a rock, facing Kurda. He lit two candles with his match.

"I am now officially a Vampire Prince now," said Kurda with confidence to the traditional enemy of the vampires. "If you are to take over, now is the best time, for every one of the vampires are drunk or asleep." He stepped into the cave, and faced the vampaneze. He smiled, but the rest of them did not. Their faces remained grim.

"How do we know we can trust him anyway, Repan? This could be a plot to capture us and frame us." asked another vampaneze to the one on the rock. Several others nodded in agreement, others shook their heads in disagreement. Only Repan, the one on the rock remained motionless.

Kurda regarded them coolly. "You know that I would not, Repan Glurv. You know my mission, the same as all of ours. To stop the Lord of the Vampaneze rising, and stopping the war that Desmond Tiny predicted." he said, looking at straight at the vampaneze on the rock.

Repan stood up, and spoke. "We attack in the morning, when the vampires are at their weakest because of the drinking tonight. We round them up into the Hall, which Kurda here will open for us. If all goes well, we win the war before it even begins." He finally smiled. So did all the others.

They started to move around, making less noise than a sleeping mouse. They opened their bags, took out their swords, daggers, and weapons. An occasional clink was heard every now and then, but it did not matter. Nobody would hear it, they thought.

But they were wrong. Somebody did hear them. Somebody did see them. And his heart flared out with anger. Gavner Purl had noticed Kurda leave just as he glanced towards the entrance. He didn't mind at the time. But after around twenty minutes, he started getting worried. He was only partially drunk, so he had enough sense to go pick up his sword on the way.

As he saw Kurda talking with the vampaneze, all the traces of the alcohol in his blood boiled away. His thoughts were dominated with one word: _Traitor_. He slowly drew his sword, and approached silently. He couldn't go back now. He would have to beat the vampaneze on his own. Not that that was impossible.

Repan was the first to hear Gavner. He whipped around, just as Gavner swung his sword into action. Repan glanced it off, and prepared to attack him back when Kurda shouted, "Stop!"

Gavner paused, but Repan didn't. Before Kurda could interfere, Repan stabbed the Vampire General in the gut. Gavner was pushed to the wall, and then slid down. Blood was gurgling from his mouth.

Kurda screamed, "NO!" and pulled the vampaneze away. But it was too late to save Gavner. Kurda went down to his knees beside Gavner.

"Forgive me, Gavner," Kurda sobbed. "It is not how you think it is."

Gavner spat blood at Kurda, and sneered. Suddenly, he shuddered. His sneer slipped away, and his head hit the floor. He was dead.

Kurda put his middle finger on the dead vampire's forehead, and spread his fingers out in a fan. "Even in death, may you be triumphant." whispered Kurda. The vampaneze respectfully bowed their heads. They still were a race of honour, and they respected their enemies.

Repan was first to recover. He put his hand on Kurda's shoulder.

"Come," said Repan softly. "We still have a mission to complete. He is the first of our casualties."

Kurda turned around. He was crying tears, mourning his lost friend. Although Gavner had never voted for him, they had still been good friends. He remembered the memories he'd shared with the vampire general, and the laughter they'd exchanged.

After a few more minutes, Kurda resolved himself and stood up. He gave Repan and the rest of them a reassuring grin. He wiped the blood off his face, changed his bloodstained clothes, and got his weapons. They dragged the body of Gavner Purl into the cave, wiped off the blood from the cave walls and floor. A vampaneze put out the candles, and the body was now hidden from prowling eyes.

Kurda took out his map, and started leading the vampaneze into Vampire Mountain…

* * *

I regretted writing that, but I thought that the Universe had to go along its course. You know what that means. R&R! 


	3. 2 Attack from Within

An Official Announcement: I'm now one of the staff members of the C2 community, Our Eternal Beloved, Kurda Smahlt. Mwu-ha-ha-ha-ha!! Sorry, it slipped out.

Here we go, the second chapter…

**_(Author's Note: _Do you want to know something? You know the leader of the pack of vampaneze, Repan Glurv? Sounds weird, doesn't it. Well, it's that way because it's an anagram of another vampire. If you get who it was right, um… I'll think of something.**

* * *

Chapter 2. Attack from Within

Kurda led the Repan and his group of vampaneze through long and twisting tunnels, unknown by any of the vampires except a newly elected Vampire Prince. Using his map, Kurda followed the quickest and least guarded way to the Hall.

Kurda could hear whispers from behind him. "…may be a trap…" "…could work…" "…cares for his vampire friends…" "…oi! Get off my foot!…" He ignored these furtive messages that they didn't trust them. He knew that after he was done, they would look up to him with admiration and respect. Of course, that is if they got up that far in the plan.

* * *

Arra Sails was still drinking with Larten Crepsley, Vanez Blane and Seba Nile. They were stark outright drunk. They could barely hold their mugs, for Christ's sake. Vanez and Seba, both old men, were giggling hysterically at some very bad joke. Arra and Larten were exchanging very seductive looks, and occasionally grabbing each other's reproductive organs and… you don't want to know.

Anyway, after Larten had fallen asleep onto Arra's chest, she started wondering where the hell Gavner was. She was missing his belly laughter and his jokes already. So she decided to look for him.

She stood up abruptly, letting Larten's head hit the bench. He didn't even flinch. Arra slipped past the giggling duo without much attention, but the old men were too drunk to realize anything at the moment. She walked pretty much like what a drunkard would walk, swaying like a leaf in the breeze. She stepped out of the crowd of drunkards and into the cool, mountain air, and she instantly felt a little better.

She was about to go down one of the tunnels when she heard voices. Tiny whispers coming down from that dark patch of wall, or so she thought. Upon inspection, however, she found it was a tunnel, just big enough for a man to fit through. The voices grew louder from it.

Arra dashed to her room, grabbed a knife and a sword, and approached the tunnel again. This time, she could see men slinking towards her. Leading them, she could see a figure that she thought she had seen before, but could remember. She was just too drunk.

While Arra was thinking, Kurda and his group saw Arra, and paused. Then they saw just how drunk she was, so they approached her. She didn't even acknowledge the group. Repan gave an order, and two of the vampaneze took out some ropes and tied Arra up. When they were done, they chucked her into the tunnel.

Now that nobody was in his way, Kurda calmly approached the Hall of Princes…

* * *

Has anybody worked out who the anagram vampire is? OK, here's a hint: That vampire dies in the real series! R&R! 


	4. 3 Behold, the Entry of the Saviour!

Sorry about the delay (again). I'm doing this from my friend's house, because my computer's busted. Please be prepared for _long _delays after this. Sorry, but life ain't perfect.

To my reviewers:

clam theif: You love cats? Hmm, I know a friend who's a cat fanatic... You wouldn't want to meet him. No offense, OshiShadow, but you are a cat freak.

The Freaky Butt Mate: Well, you got more! Happy?

S-A: Thank you for reviewing, oh your honourable laziness.

clam theif: You were the first. Gosh, you guys are so smart!

S-A: Yes, yes, you're smart. Stop waving your ass, woman, or I'll stick a knife up it! Sorry.

The Freaky Butt Mate: How come everybody knows? The anagrams took me a good five minutes, you know!

Love Psychodelicio: Finally, somebody didn't mention the anagram! I am so happy!

Love Psychodelicio: If Vanez is young, then we all haven't been born yet, y'hear?

Banjo: This one's quite short as well, but I can't help it. Sorry.

lordofthecrimsonnight: Yup, well said.

lioness of darkness: YES!! STOP ASKING ALREADY! Jeez.

* * *

Chapter 3. Behold, The Entry of The Saviour

Paris Skyle sat on his throne, drinking a mug of warm blood. He had decided against taking alcohol three decades ago, when he had decided that he was now an old vampire. Not many lived to his age; he was going to make sure he was going to live life to its fullest.

But sitting in the Hall of Princes, alone with only a now rapidly emptying mug of blood to keep him company, Paris was extremely bored. He had dismissed his servant, and had allowed him to go enjoy the party. In his deepest depths, he wished that he could go and enjoy the fruits of life once again, but it was not to be so. _I am probably the only vampire in the whole of Vampire Mountain who is not drunk_, thought Paris. He was wrong.

As he was brooding over whether or not to go drink with Seba and everybody else, he saw Kurda enter the Hall with a dozen vampaneze at his tail. Paris immediately put down his mug, and stood up.

"Kurda! What is the meaning of this?" asked Paris. He could not believe his eyes. The newly elected Vampire Prince, betraying his people and letting their sole enemies into their stronghold? This was absolutely outrageous.

Kurda remained calm. "Paris, you know that there will be a war between the two creatures of the night in the future. Desmond Tiny has told us so. But if we let our enemy, our brothers, take over, there will be no war. There will be no casualties. Neither clan will fall to the other. That is my dream, Paris. I am the saviour." said Kurda, with determination Paris had never seen before in the young man's eyes. Any other day he would have admired it, but not at this particular time.

Paris drew his sword. "No bloody vampaneze will take over Vampire Mountain," shouted Paris. "As long I stand and fight!" He pounced on the nearest vampaneze, and before anyone could stop him, Paris chopped off his head. Blood sprayed everywhere from the severed neck. Paris turned to the other vampaneze, possessed by anger. So were the vampaneze, especially Repan. Only one thought lingered in their minds: **_Revenge_**.

Before one blow was thrown, Kurda stepped in. He didn't want the takeover of Vampire Mountain to end up as a bloodbath. Paris glared at Kurda, and the vampaneze suddenly realized something they should have realized long ago: Kurda was a pacifist, and he didn't want anyone, especially his 'vampire friends', to die. A few of the vampaneze were absolutely enraged. But Repan understood Kurda's wishes, and mentally sent a message to his fellow vampaneze: _He knows what he is doing. Let him be. _

"Get out of my way, traitor, or I will strike you down!" screamed Paris, holding his sword in front of him. The tip was only a few millimetres away from Kurda's chest. Kurda regarded Paris with an uncanny calmness.

"Paris, you know you cannot survive if you strike me down. None will come to your aid, for they are all drunk. I want none to die, although I know that that is impossible. So, which do you choose?" asked Kurda.

Paris regarded the Prince with disgust. He drew his sword back, aiming at the traitor's heart. "Never." he whispered, and pushed.

Kurda stepped to the side quicker than Paris had anticipated, and pushed the sword away. Then, Kurda gave the elderly Prince a punch that knocked Paris back into his throne.

"Vanez said I was useless, but I learnt from him very well." whispered Kurda, and punched Paris in the gut. Repan walked up beside Kurda, and brought his fist down on Paris' head. Paris lost consciousness immediately. His head slumped down, and the frown ebbed away into nothingness. His sword dropped to the floor.

Repan ordered the same two who had tied up Arra to do the same for Paris. After they were done, they pushed the body behind the throne, in the shadows.

Kurda led the vampaneze to the Stone of Blood. It glowed softly, as if it too were drunk from the spirits of the vampires. Few of the group gasped when they saw it; others grinned. Now that the vampaneze had it, they could find exactly which vampire was where in the world, through Kurda. This meant that hunting for stray vampires would be very easy for the vampaneze, by sending each other telepathic messages of the vampire's whereabouts.

Repan stood, and summoned the attention of all.

"Tonight, we shall put all the vampires under our power. Those who resist, we shall kill," he said triumphantly. "From tonight, this mountain shall be **Vampaneze Mountain**!!" A roar erupted in the midst of the vampaneze. Kurda smiled. His plan had worked; Desmond Tiny's prophecy would be obsolete. Or so he thought.

* * *

Cliffhanger here. R&R, if you want more!!


	5. 4 A Thief in the Night

This chapter is a tiny bit short (OK, maybe just plain _short_). Sorry to keep you folks waiting.

To my reviewers:

Love Psychedelicio: I am afraid that Gavner dying was unavoidable. What happened to your Kurda Smahlt C2 anyway? I kinda liked it.

Love Psychedelicio: Well, it _is_ all a matter of opinion...

Banjo: Actually, it's Gav_n_er Purl (you spelt it wrong). Sorry, that was random.

lordofthecrimsonnight: At least someone understands what I'm getting at.

lioness of darkness: Wrong place, wrong time. Maybe that doesn't work... oh well. And yes, the anagram is correct.

The Freaky Butt Mate: Do you have to glomp someone every time? It probably kinda hurts. Experts indeed. Yes, I know.

Missing Whisper: Cliffhangers... the author's greatest weapon.

Obsessed (goddess.of.dead. I think that the mistakes you see in other stories are the results of not using spellcheck. May that be a lesson to you all! Thanks for your comment anyway.

Mint: Yes, I know it was. Yes, I will.

* * *

Part. 2 – Never Meddle with the Universe

Chapter 4. A Thief in the Night

_(Three years later)_

Kurda Smahlt sat on his throne, looking at the roof of the Hall of Princes. Vampaneze Mountain had been attacked for the umpteenth time by the Vampire Rebels. Not one vampire had joined Kurda's side, alongside the vampaneze. _Ah well, _Kurda had thought. _Vampire honour. Figures. _

There were still 5 thrones, but only Kurda and another Vampaneze, Repan Glurv, occupied them. They controlled the forces that tracked down vampires, fought them, and tried to let the other vampires see the logic of Kurda's plan. But they were blinded by their unblinking honour, their ignorance, and their inflexibility. Kurda knew that because he had taken over Vampire Mountain (now Vampaneze Mountain), Desmond Tiny's future had been averted.

His thoughts were interrupted when a Vampaneze General entered the Hall. Kurda recognized him as the was-to-be Vampaneze Lord, Steve Leonard. Nobody liked him, not really; he was too sharp, too edgy, and too livid. But he was still a loyal worker to Repan. However, Kurda wondered if Steve actually did respect him. He doubted it.

He stopped before Kurda, stopped and bowed, then read from the sheet of paper the latest updates of the Rebellion. The vampaneze and Kurda called it the Vampire Rebellion; apparently, the vampires called it the War of Fury, and also the Destruction of the Traitors. Kurda was a pacifist, and was quite shocked at what the vampires could urge themselves to do. Most of all, he couldn't believe that Paris, Arrow, Mika, and Vancha could command their troops so relentlessly.

"Our troops are stamping out some of the minor bases, Sire." said Steve, staring at Kurda. His eyes were burning, which Kurda read as the yearning to get out there and kill the vampires. "We have already successfully destroyed at least forty-five Vampire Bases. But we still cannot locate the Vampire Fort." The Vampire Fort was where the main base was, supposedly, but the vampaneze could still not locate it.

Steve was about to leave, when Kurda stopped him.

"Steve," Kurda asked softly. "You are happy that the vampaneze are rulers of this mountain, that you enjoy more privileges than your unfortunate brethren. But what about me, a vampire among vampaneze? Do you think I should be here, sharing your fruits of success? Do you resent me?"

Steve turned, and glared at Kurda for a few moments, then answered.

"If I had had my way, _sire_," said Steve hatefully. "You would not be here by now. I would have driven a stake through your heart, whether you helped us or not." He then walked off, before Kurda could reply.

Kurda was left alone, brooding over what had Steve had just stated. His brows furrowed, in worry, but also in confusion. It had been he, Kurda that had helped take the Mountain. It had been he that had helped plan the tactics to crush the rebellion, and it had worked flawlessly (the Battle of the Crimson Field). And it had also been he that had promoted Steve to rank of General, and to let him commandeer his own squad. So why hate him so much? Kurda could not understand.

Soon, he left the Hall, leaving it empty and desolate. Or so it seemed.

Nobody saw the small figure emerge from the shadows of the seats surrounding the Hall. Silently, the figure moved across the floor, and came up to the Stone of Blood, which the vampaneze had kept in its original position. He put on his thick gloves, and slowly picked it up. It was heavier, much heavier, than it looked. But the figure, considering his size, was strong, and he quickly stalked out the way he had come: a hole, too small for an adult to crawl through. The figure pushed the Stone through, and then followed it outside. Seeing no one, he slipped through some of the more unknown tunnels, and arrived outside.

He broke into a run, running along the path that curled around Vampaneze Mountain. Until he was deep into the forest, he didn't stop. After ten minutes, however, he suddenly collapsed on the spot, and tried to regain his breath.

The Stone glowed bright red in the night, and it illuminated the face of the young thief.

Darren Shan grinned to himself.

* * *

Wicked. 


	6. 5 A Visit from DesTiny

As I said in my new Fartemit Owl chapter, I'M BACK! Enjoy. I've now suttly added things to the story so it reconnects with the original story by the great and almighty Darren Shan, bless his shoes. Anyway...

To my reviewers:

GREEL: YES GOOD ENJOY! (No happy dance)

Jane: Don't kill yourself! Otherwise you'll miss the next chapters and die in vain!

spicergirl: You might like_this_ ending too.

myimmortalsoul: We all love Kurda... although I don't love him _so_much as to call it... no, I won't go any further...

* * *

Chapter 5. – A Visit from DesTiny

Early next morning, Kurda arrived in the Hall to find nearly all of the Vampaneze waiting for him, including Repan, on his throne, tapping on the armrest. He instantly felt a driving hatred and a little confusion in the air. _What's happened?_, he thought to himself. Then he looked at the platform where the Stone of Blood was. Or where it had been.

Kurda's eyes widened. 'NO!' he screamed, and rushed towards the platform. The Vampaneze kept their gaze on him while he clutched the edge of the platform, panicking, desperately looking for it. When he couldn't, he screamed again, and tore the edge of the smooth marble platform right off.

Behind Kurda, someone stood up, and spoke.

'The leader we have trusted for so long, who has led us against the attacks of the Vampires, has lost our ultimate weapon. Now, we have lost a major advantage, and will suffer as a consequence. If we lose Vampaneze Mountain to the Vampires, then I propose that Kurda Smahlt be killed!' Kurda spun round to see who it was. It was another Vampaneze General, Simon Dendyt. Kurda had liked him and seen potential, but he had obviously made a mistake.

One of the only female Vampaneze, Siara Lars, also stood up. 'He helped us capture this mountain, and kill many Vampires, but he has never faced combat in a battle! This shows that he is afraid of killing his fellow Vampires!' A roar of approval was heard from a couple of the Vampaneze.

'He stopped Desmond Tiny's prophecy of destruction!' came a voice, so loud and clear that it could be heard over the roars of the Vampaneze. 'If it had not been for him, at the end of the war we might bloody well be dead!'

Everyone turned to see Steve Leopard step down from his seat. Every single one of them became silent. Steve stopped in the middle of the Hall, and spoke again.

'Kurda risked his own life to get us in here, and to drive the Vampires out. He even blooded me, and helped me become a Vampaneze General! How can you idiots turn on your greatest ally so easily?' With that, Steve sat back down. Kurda nodded his thanks to Steve, but Steve didn't nod back.

'My brothers!' cried Kurda. 'Do not despair! Even if we may not have the Stone of Blood, we can still win this war, and keep the Vampires out of this mountain, and stop the prophecy of Desmond Tiny!'

'Oh, no you can't!' came a voice, a voice so chilling that every single person in the room shivered. Kurda looked up to see a man dressed in a sharp yellow suit and green Wellington boots gliding down from the ceiling, with something like a coffin stuck to his back. He was also twiddling with his heart-shaped watch, which glowed crimson. The ceiling bore no hole or any other entrance, yet the most feared creature the Vampires and Vampaneze had ever known landed gracefully in the centre of the Hall.

'Desmond,' greeted Repan shakily. 'What brings you here?' Desmond Tiny dropped the coffin to the floor, sat on it, and spoke.

'I've come, Repan, to iron out a few minor problems. Namely, you, Kurda' he said, turning to Kurda. Everybody's eyes bore into Kurda, and he felt each and every single pair.

'Wha, what have I done?' asked Kurda shakily. Mr. Tiny sneered at the pale man.

'You see, when I decided to create you as one of the first ways to stop the future, I didn't think you'd succeed. But when you did, at first I accepted it. But then I got bored. Nothing was happening, so I thought that I'd… _move it along_. So here it is.' As he spoke, he picked up the coffin that he had brought in.

'This is the Coffin of Fire. This will determine who will become the new leader of the Vampaneze forces. Namely, the Lord of the Vampaneze.

'Those who wish to test themselves as a candidate for the Lord, then come forth. But beware:' said Mr. Tiny, with an evil glint in his eyes. 'Those who aren't will suffer a horrible death… _by fire_.'

Furious whispers filled the Hall. Everyone was waiting for the first man to try.

Then Repan stepped from his throne, and approached the Coffin. Mr. Tiny grinned, set it against the wall, and opened the lid. It looked like any other coffin, but not one of them thought that Mr. Tiny was lying. Repan stepped in, and when Mr. Tiny closed the lid, the entire coffin burst into flames instantly. It had an eerie bluish-green flame, and over the sound of the crackling fire came a horrible scream. After what seemed like an eternity, the flames disappeared, and the coffin lid fell off. The coffin was empty.

* * *

Ooooohhh. (0.o) 


	7. 6 The Coffin of Fire

Half term, which means it's the return of the chapters. Now, when I get a laptop, hopefully this year, I'll be update a lot more regularly, which might mean a chapter or two maybe every month. So, stay hopeful!

By the way, this has nothing to do with Darren Shan, but:

**I NEED MORE PEOPLE AT THE FARTEMIT OWL FORUM! READ AND VISIT!**

* * *

Chapter 6. – The Coffin of Fire

There was a stunned silence. Everyone was shocked at the sudden death of their former leader. Nothing was left of him; not even ashes.

No one expected anyone else to step forward. And so, when Simon Dendyt stood up and walked towards the Coffin, even Mr. Tiny looked startled. But only for a moment. Then the meddler's sneer returned to his face. Giving one glance to wards Mr. Tiny, he stepped into the Coffin. Mr. Tiny fixed the lid in place, and stepped back.

Once again, the Coffin burst into flames. And once again, terrible screams of anguish were heard, just barely, over the sounds of the flames. Some bowed their heads, while others just let their jaws hang loose in shock, as the flames died down, the lid popped off, and no one was inside.

Mr. Tiny began to snigger, looking at all the Vampaneze who were in the Hall. But his eyes lingered the most on Steve, who in return glared at the small man icily. Twiddling his heart-shaped watch, he spoke once more. 'Do I have to kill every single one of you here, at this moment? Come on, _somebody_ must think they can lead the Vampaneze to victory!'

'But the Vampaneze have already won!' cried Kurda. 'We captured Vampire Mountain! We've got the Vampires on the run! We've…'

'But you _lost_ the Stone of Blood!' said Mr. Tiny menacingly, cutting Kurda off from his little speech. 'And let me tell you who it was: Darren Shan, the little half-vampire, newly elected Vampire Prince because he retrieved the Stone of Blood and also for his actions on the battlefield. Pah! Pathetic!' He looked around the Hall once more. 'If no one volunteers, I'll have to start choosing people at random, and believe me, you won't like that. Well?'

Silence filled the Hall once more. No one dared move, but yet they knew they had to, otherwise Mr. Tiny would pick them off one by one, leaving not enough Vampaneze to guard the Mountain. On the other hand, even if they _did _individually volunteer, they didn't know how quickly this Lord would be found, and so may lose too many Vampaneze _anyway_. Kurda stood motionless, pondering the options, when someone stepped into the centre.

Steve Leopard.

At any other time, someone would have laughed, but not in these circumstances. Everyone was silent as Steve stepped down and approached Mr. Tiny, who had stopped sneering. He looked at Steve now with an almost fatherly look, which was surprising when you considered how immensely cruel the man was. If we knew what he had done in his unnaturally long life, it would be almost impossible to imagine a fatherly look in the man's eyes.

Steve didn't even glance at the small man as he stepped into the coffin, then lay there, expecting the lid to close. Mr. Tiny chuckled lightly as he closed the lid, and the flames sprang up. But instead of the sound of flames and screaming, there was silence. Total and utter silence. Mr. Tiny's face was illuminated with a disturbing blue colour from the flames, while his heart-shaped watch glowed a bright crimson.

Soon, the flames died down, and smoke seethed through the gaps. Everyone expected the lid to pop off, just as it had last time, leaving nothing behind. Some had begun to pray to the gods for protection when they stepped up, when the lid suddenly flew off, and with a massive _crack_ it fell in splinters at the other end of the Hall. And, out of the smoking coffin, stepped out someone none of them had ever expected to see ever again.

Steve Leopard, unharmed and well.

* * *

Did you like that? R&R! 


	8. 7 The Lord of the Vampaneze

It's the SUMMER, people! It's time to chill, watch TV, go swimming, hang about with your mates, all that stuff. While you all do that, make sure you keep reading my FanFics, otherwise I'll have to find another excuse for using the computer for so long everyday!

_(Author's Notes - Haven't done these in a while. Anyway, remember Repan, whose name was an angram? Well, I've made some, but I forgot to mention one of them. Simon Dendyt (he died in the coffin) is an anagram, as well as the character that appears in this chapter, who fights Steve. Work 'em out, and leave me reviews!)_

* * *

Chapter 7. – The Lord of the Vampaneze

Mr. Tiny burst out laughing. It was a cruel, heartless laugh.

'Well, well. Steve Leonard, I never would have thought it,' said the meddler. Everyone knew he was lying, but they said nothing. Mr. Tiny turned to the other vampaneze. 'All of you! This is your new leader, the Lord of the Vampaneze! He will lead you to victory over the vampires! You must obey him without question, otherwise…' Mr. Tiny slid his finger across his neck, and smiled. 'You don't want to know what will happen to you.

'Now,' said Mr. Tiny. 'I need someone who will be Steve's closest guard and… _friend_, shall we say.' He chuckled. 'You won't need to go into the Coffin, because it's broken, but you _will _have to be tested on your loyalty to your new Lord…'

Once again, for a long time no one stepped up. Steve knew that no one liked him, and that becoming Lord over all of the vampaneze would make him more hated. This would mean that he would have to prove himself in some way. And he knew exactly how to do it.

No one yet had volunteered. Mr. Tiny, however, just stood there, patiently fiddling with his glowing heart-shaped watch. He seemed suddenly unaware of the creatures of the night he had, indirectly, created.

Kurda looked upon the scene with more and more concern. The war he had worked so hard to prevent was suddenly beginning to unfold. He never should have believed Mr. Tiny's word that he would not let the war occur if Kurda was successful. Kurda had always known that the meddler was obsessed with wars, destruction, and all things gory, and yet he had gullibly believed that the same man would suddenly throw away his interests that he had held for god knows how long. And soon, since there was no more need for Kurda's presence, he would either be sent out or killed. If he was sent out of Vampaneze Mountain, the moment the vampires discovered he was not safe, they would send their best to assassinate him. Neither option appealed to Kurda.

The silence was finally broken by Mr. Tiny.

'Come on, someone _must _like Steve!' he said mockingly, glancing at Steve. Steve glared back, his anger welling up inside him. Mr. Tiny watched this with satisfaction.

'All right, this is what we'll do then,' said Mr. Tiny, indicating towards the door. 'This should be fun. LAST ONE OUT IS STEVE'S RIGHT HAND MAN!'

This was totally unexpected, and the Hall was suddenly in an uproar. Vampaneze who had been the closest of friends were suddenly viciously fighting off each other towards the way out, and some were even desperate enough to draw their weapons and kill their way through. However, the door of the Hall remained firmly closed, just as it should be. The only people who hadn't moved were Steve, Mr. Tiny, and Kurda. Kurda knew that even if he was the last man out, he would still be ignored by the meddler as Steve's henchman.

'It would appear that _everyone _hates you, _Lord_,' said Mr. Tiny, sarcastically emphasizing the word 'Lord'. 'Would you like to take a pick from those who are left?'

But no one had been able to leave. The vampaneze slowly turned to face Steve, fear and loathing clearly etched into their faces. Half the vampaneze in the Hall were either wounded or even killed, thanks to Mr. Tiny's cruel trick.

Steve was silent. He looked at each and every one of the vampaneze in turn, getting in return an icy stare from them.

'How about this,' said Steve finally. 'Anyone who gets beaten by me in a fight has to be my right-hand man. How about that?' There were murmurs of acknowledgement among the remaining vampaneze. Even Mr. Tiny looked at Steve with slight surprise. Steve could tell what he was thinking by the look on his face. _Bring it on_, Steve thought to himself. _I'm ready. _

A figure stepped forward from the crowd. It was Nalbis Tulhier, a respected member of the clan, whose skills in strategy as well as fighting had won them many battles. What most vampaneze didn't know was that he was half-French, half-Hungarian, and that he was a great cook. The rest of the vampaneze had decided not to go easy on Steve.

'Hmm,' muttered Mr. Tiny. Then he looked up and spoke with that all-too-familiar glint in his eyes. 'Well, if you two are going to fight, I'm going to make the rules!' Neither Nalbis nor Steve moved.

'Alright. You each get a weapon of your own choice. You're allowed to give a few nicks and scratches, but nothing serious, we don't want needless bloodshed.' Mr. Tiny said this with more than a hint of irony, as Mr. Tiny _loved_ needless violence.

'First one who goes down to ground and surrenders loses. Well, what are you waiting for? FIGHT!' With this, he stepped back and sat in Repan's now disused throne, while the vampaneze hurriedly returned to their seats. It was almost as if this were a gladiator fight in Ancient Rome.

Nalbis slowly drew his sword, a magnificent blade rumoured to have belonged to one of King Louis XII's most trusted noblemen. Steve, however, did not draw a weapon. Nalbis sneered, then lunged at Steve, bringing the sword down in an arc at Steve's head. He appeared to have forgotten the 'needless violence' part of the rules. But then again, Mr. Tiny would have done nothing even if Nalbis was close to dying.

Steve stepped aside with surprising speed, drew a knife from his sleeve, and brought it down into Nalbis' neck. Nalbis screamed, and staggered away from Steve, trying to pull the knife out, but it wouldn't budge.

'YOU!' screamed Nalbis, and lunged once again. But this time, he was more careful. As Steve stepped aside once more, thinking he'd won, Nalbis suddenly changed the direction of his sword with great agility, slicing open Steve's shirt and cutting a deep, red line across his chest. Steve gasped, clutching his wound. Nalbis spun, and brought his sword down once again. This time Steve did draw his sword, and blocked Nalbis' killing strike. Soon, a thrilling sword fight ensued, with both vampaneze fighting skilfully, each getting their share of nicks and cuts. But it was obvious that Nalbis was more skilled than Steve, and soon Steve had his back to the wall of the Hall.

_Damn, _thought Steve, as he began to sweat. Nalbis, however, seemed as if he was not even tired. _I need to try a new tactic. _There were cries of 'Finish him!' and 'He is too feeble to be our Lord!' from the crowd, while Mr. Tiny kept silent, completely engrossed in the fight.

All of a sudden, Nalbis grabbed Steve's neck and squeezed, making Steve choke and gasp for breath.

'You don't deserve to lead our proud race, not in a million years!' cried Nalbis, to the cheers of the other vampaneze. 'I don't care what the meddler says. I will kill you right now, right here!'

Steve looked towards Mr. Tiny, who hadn't moved. Mr. Tiny seemed unfazed by the threat, as if Steve didn't matter. Steve gritted his teeth. _Fine, _he thought. _I'll have to do this the dirty way. _

As Nalbis raised his sword to level with Steve's neck, Steve slowly drew his second knife from his sleeve. Nalbis seemed not to have realized, and sneered at Steve. Steve sneered back, and before Nalbis could retaliate, Steve shoved the knife straight into his opponent's heart.

Nalbis gave a muffled choke, and staggered back, releasing Steve. He fell to his knees, and in his dying moments, he whispered, '_Curse you…_'

A shocked silence filled the Hall. The silence was broken by a single pair of hands clapping, and a cruel, heartless laugh.

'Bravo, Steve, bravo!' said Mr. Tiny, and stopped clapping. 'Nalbis would have been a good right-hand man. Shame you had to kill him. Oh well, he would have killed you anyway, so I suppose it's alright. Moving on!' He turned to face the vampaneze crowd. 'Anyone else willing to fight Steve?'

There were murmurs among the crowd, with frequent glances towards Steve and Nalbis' dead body. Mr. Tiny clicked his fingers, and two Little People came out of nowhere, and carried him out of the Hall.

While Steve was still nursing his cuts, another vampaneze stepped forward. It was Gannen Harst.

* * *

One of the longest chapters I've written so far (I think). You like? You REVIEW! 


End file.
